PESHAWAR, PAKISTAN (AP) - Two loud explosions on Sunday shook a northwest Pakistan militant stronghold that has been the frequent target of U.S. missile strikes, a local resident said.
Haji Gul Zaman said he heard the blasts and saw plumes of smoke rising near Wana, the main city in South Waziristan tribal region. Trucks carrying Taliban fighters raced toward the scene, said Gul, who lives just outside Zari Noor, a village in the area.
It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or wounded.
Pakistani news channels blamed American missiles for the blasts, but did not cite their sources.
Officials could not immediately be reached to confirm the cause.
South Waziristan lies along the Afghan border and is the main stronghold of Baitullah Mehsud, the top Pakistani Taliban commander, who is believed allied with the al-Qaida terrorist network.
Since August, the U.S. has escalated its use of drone-fired missile strikes along Pakistan’s lawless northwest regions bordering Afghanistan, where al-Qaida and the Taliban have hideouts.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.